


Builder and Beast

by Wristic



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cinematic Violence, Enemies to Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26928346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wristic/pseuds/Wristic
Summary: Being an engineer on Sakaar hasn't gotten you much of a break until you show off your latest invention to the Grandmaster. You're beaming in pride for what you've created, knowing it'll go for big bucks, that the battle mech is just the kind of thing he's into.And yes he is very interested in your mech. Interested in you specifically using it against his number one Champion, The Hulk. You, a simple garbage farmer, are simply not prepared to fight for your life.
Kudos: 6





	Builder and Beast

The lid of the mecha armor opened up in a sharp hiss. In an excited rush you pulled the interlinking helmet off and stood to present yourself to the awaiting crowd with a big smile. Your heart fluttered, a special kind of praise in seeing the Grandmaster grinning at your invention. Quickly hopping down on the well placed arm, you met him a safe distance where he stood, the Grandmaster stroking his chin as he seemed to wonder. You looked on at your combat enhanced robot standing above the crowd, sleek yet intimidating, unpainted to show the different steels and patchwork design. Pride was glowing in you for what you could create in the forgotten garbage coated planet of Sakaar.

“Good good…” The Grandmaster thought allowed, causing you to bow your head bashfully. “You’ll look stunning in the fight.”

All joy was ripped from you, leaving you cold and frantic. Your horrified disbelief went unnoticed in the crowd poking at your invention, the Grandmaster still smiling away imagining the coming championship. The only one to notice was his executioner, a small quirk on her lips at your drained expression. “What?”

Barely tilting his head he finally seemed to get a hint of your confusion. Pointing to your mech he explained, “Well I’d like to see it in action-”

“I can’t-” You hadn’t meant to interrupt, quickly bowing down a little lower at his raised brow and tried to plead with him in a more submissive level. “Gr-Grandmaster please, I’m a builder not a fighter. I can input algorithms and improve statistics, but I have no knowledge of a warriors instinct.”

“Than this makes it the perfect test!” He chimed, turning back to your suit and thankfully not taking any insult from your behavior. “If your mecha suit is as good as you say, even someone as untalanted in using it as you could come out a winner, right?” Staring at his feet you gulped hard, praying you wouldn’t cover them in this mornings breakfast. You came to sell the mech, not use it.

“Sir-My Lord-Grandmaster, i-if the price is too high-”

He let out a great long laugh, “Oh you, are, precious. Topaz,” He motioned to his assistant. “Get her ready for tonight games. Great~ Best of luck!”

In a fantastic turn he sauntered away to another group show casing another invented or discovered set of weapons. All Topaz had to do was stand beside you, looking up and down with her stone bored face. Your armor seemed so flimsy now, knowing who you’d be set against. Hard to imagine you rooted for him with the rest of the world just last week. Even had some fun merchandise to help inspire you into creating something that could take him one day, but there was very little confidence this mech could take on the Hulk.

Maybe the Grandmaster knew that.

* * *

They cut your hair, slapped on some red and gold to your formally grey skin tight interlocking suit. Panic had you running in circles of the unending room until you broke, curled up to the wall in tears. A man made of stone tried his best to comfort you, saying not so comforting words about a quick death and offering what you questioned was food. “I don’t know what I did to get sent here.” You sniffled into your hands.

“None of us really do anything to deserve to be here.” He chuckled, gently smacking your weary shoulder. “Just gotta be entertainin’, that’s all. You pull that off without dying, you can come hang out with us some more, ay?”

It wasn’t a very uplifting thought.

When the doors finally opened, your name called among a deafening choir of people, the shadow of your towering mech engulfed you. You shrank into yourself hoping to disappear. Krog was helpful in ushering you out further by explaining how they dealt with ‘forfeitures’.

Shaking in your thin boots, the crowd laughed as you snuck out. How could they not? This massive mech before you and you must have looked like a frightened little child stepping out, your face too far away to see the tears. Avoiding all their mocking riot, you found your helmet on the ground waiting. Quickly nabbing and slapping it on you rushed to your equally gaudy red and gold mecha, it responding fast to your thoughts, using an arm to lift you inside the cockpit. Once inside, snug tight in familiar lights and smells, you gripped the handles for dear life. The whole mech staggered to life. However, it responded to your fearful state, clenching and unclenching its giant fists, swaying and looking around at the towering stadium.

The crowd took a hard shift, calling and cheering, raising their Hulk paraphernalia in wild excitement. Within the helm you started to tremble, the mech shifting around faster, like an animal backing into the wall and desperately searching out escape. It was dizzying, being thrashed from side to side, up and down, your breathing and eyes so unfocused you barely caught the opponent doors start to open.

When you heard his roar, the mech stopped, hyper focused on the sound as your heart hit so hard it burned. Before the doors could open all the way, him and all his green glory busted through them, the choice mace and ax denting the thick steel out of his way.

All his enthusiasm dwindled fast at the sight of you. His lumbering steps became slow, the mech enhancing his expression to show his confusion. Big green eyes, more Sapian than you’d ever seen in all his promotions, and… were they green? They looked to have a rim of brown this close…

The confusion took a hard shift into anger, the Hulk calling out, “Ironman?”

You didn’t even know he could talk. He stalked toward you, and you stumbled back.

“Come to put me to sleep?” He started to rush which only made you stiffen more, the panic putting you at a complete standstill. “No going back!”

As he leapt, bringing both weapons down in a mighty roar, your arms came up, crossing to protect yourself. The hydraulics in the legs hissed under the strain of his weight and strength. In a gasp of instinct you grabbed and swung him around, tossing the Hulk back across the ring. In the moment your plan had been to charge and inlay attack after attack, but again, as he stood, you were frozen and awkward.

The voice of the Grandmaster invaded your headset, his annoyance sounding more amused than anything. “I thought that thing had rockets, jet packs, super precision and strength. Don’t be shy, show off a little!” While many words wanted to burst from you all at once, the most you could muster watching the Hulk charge you again was a panicked whine. “Okay, okay, I hear you. Maybe this will help.”

The whole system, the one you were completely surrounded in, erupted in electrical discharge. The body suit and helm protected you but it gave such a startle your hands and feet retracted from the steering handles. By the time you could open your eyes again the Hulk was already there, a big hand covering the screen of the cockpit as he started thrashing you around into the ground.

You imagined the electric shock was meant to kick in some primal defense, instead you stayed curled up in your seat, waiting for the violent roller coaster to end.

Not just the Hulk but the crowd started getting frustrated with the lackluster tactic of your mech going entirely limp. As he held your mech by it’s head, he brought it close and grabbed the lip of where the cockpit opened. Sparks and crunching metal caused you to scream, curled in tight while the hot air of Sakaar reached you and spotlights poured in.

A strong grip encased your chest, pulling hard, yanking the belts clean from the seat. As he lifted you high out of the safety of your mech you kept screaming, clinging to his big hand, clawing at his wrist as you sobbed harder, “Please! Please please! I was forced into here, I didn’t want to fight I-”

You noticed he hadn’t done anything with you, only watched as you begged and cried. After a few hic's you could see the way he analyzed you, that was the only word for it, searching every little inch of your face to know how genuine you were, your little heart slamming against his thumb. “Please…” You whimpered, “I’m just an engineer. I just build things. I didn’t want to fight.”

His scowl slowly raised, eyes going wide in such a vulnerable way before roaming the stands. The people held little sympathy for your tears, all shouting “Crush, Crush, Crush,” in a growing hungry chorus.

You flinched as his fingers adjusted, tense as he thought. There was no rage in his expression, only frustration. As he looked into your eyes, only sympathy. In a gentle swing he brought you to his burning chest, cradling you like a kitten in his arms as he walked back to his busted entrance doors.

The stadium filled with the hologram of the Grandmaster, “Hey. Hey! You can’t do that! Where do you think you’re going? Where does he think he’s- you get back here and finish the-”

The Hulk spun back around and roared, louder than the Grandmasters orders and louder than the infuriated audience. His call echoed through the city, gifting a never recalled silence on the world.

Uncovering your ringing ears you looked around, looked up to the hologram. In an exhausted huff and a roll of his eyes, the Grandmaster motioned behind him, “Fine. Keep your little pet.” The giant steel doors tried opening wider but grinded and sparked in place. “Just don’t make a habit out of this, you hear me? You only get the one!”

The corridor grew quiet, the Hulk carrying you away and not saying much. You still trembled, tears still falling, but as he stepped into an elevator you managed to say, “Th-thank you.”

It was then he set you down, patient as it took a moment to put strength in your legs. “Thought you was someone else.” He spoke deeply, but quietly. “He could have taken Hulk. You like, a baby.”

As you wiped your nose you couldn’t stop the offended glare. “I’m just... not a fighter.” Wiping away your tears, “Someone with better knowledge of combat was suppose to wield that mech. It worked brilliantly with Valkyrie in it...”

“Well you not fight again.” He nodded. “You bad at it.”

The elevator stopped, the doors opening to a red and white decorated hall, leading into a room. After a brief need to defend yourself, you shrugged.

Instead of following him out, Hulk gave you a nudge out the elevator. “More fighting for Hulk. You stay safe. Build stuff.” It dawned on you that you may not be leaving soon. But there wasn’t much to get back too. Just sifting through a world of junk, trying not to get beaten and robbed by gangs for the things you created and sold as a living. At least under the care of the Grandmasters favored champion you’d know a meal would be coming that week. A grateful smile began creeping on you, the doors closing on him.

Just before the doors slipped shut his hand crashed through and pulled it open to point accusingly at you, “No evil robots!”

It caught you off guard, confused on where the assumption came from. But it wasn’t hard to comply with, “No evil robots. Promise. Just tiny crushable robots.”

He stepped back with a smile, nodding and appreciating you two had an understanding.


End file.
